Toni....What do you mean?

15 years ago

Toni, just incase you don't look at my thread, I wanted to be safe since I need an answer as soon as tommorrow.

I am bringing my denias in tommorrow night and I wanted to know what you meant by ect....In theis phrase...."Because, like you, I fear mite infestation, every other week they get sprayed with soap, water, etc".

I will do anything you suggest since your gardenia looks awsome and you never seem to have a mite problem.....And now I no longer want to use chemical!!

By the way........How are you!!!!!

I hate this time of year!!Lol

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Comments (4)

birdsnblooms
15 years ago
Hey Mike. Oh, when I said, etc, I was referring to spraying with the home-made insectide I made up..it's not only used to 'kill' bugs but to 'prevent' them from attacking in the first place.
Water, dish soap, citrus rind or juice, garlic if not chopped then liquid from crushed garlic. I've also decided to add Cayenne Pepper (seasoning)..If you're awake, you can prepare everything tonight before bed.
Since fertilizer and/or Fish Emulsion isn't added, 'when used as a preventative for mites,' leaving the above ingredints overnight will blend better, plus water will be room temp..Before spraying, shake well.
Mike, I'm going to be honest..There are times mites find my plants, too..but you know when this happens? When I grow lazy, and stop spraying. When sprayed every 2-3 wks, those demons go elsewhere..
Thankfully, a good number of my plants are succulent..so far, cross my fingers, lol, succulents have never had insect problems. Still, before they come indoors, they're all sprayed. 1 time throughout winter.
But tropicals aren't as hardy. Some are prone to insect infestation..Gardenias are one of the top ten. Annuals brought indoors beat Gardenias.
Mike, once again, I'm not telling you what to do, or to use the spray, but what can it hurt..none of the ingredients are harmful. Most are items in our kitchen cabinets. Well, at least items I use for baking purposes, except the dish soap, lol.
If you decide not to use the spray, at the minimum, hose plants well.
BTW, I use Fish Emulsion before bringing indoors for two reasons. 1. it's a great, organic, last foliar feed. 2. it keeps scale away. One plant, an olive, is a scale magnet. When it was shipped to my home, 4 or 5 yrs ago, it was totally infested. After spraying with FE, every scale died. Whether they went to scale heaven or hell, it didn't matter, as long as they were anywhere other than my olive tree..lol. I only spray with FE before bringing indoors..throughout winter, I use the above ingredients minus FE.

I'm okay, a tad upset winter is coming. How about you?
Winter is very depressing. I dislike the cold and gray days. Snow is pretty, beautiful, on Christmas through New Year's Day..Afterwards, about 2 weeks later, heck, even 4 wks, it'd be nice is spring came. lol.

Let me know what you decide, and how your Gardenia is doing.
So, you're going to bring them in tomorrow night? What's your temps like, day and night? Toni
meyermike_1micha
Original Author
15 years ago
Toni!!
Thanks alot for your are the best.
It is still warm enough to keep plants out here. It has been cloudy but high sixtees ans same at night. But I just saw the weather, and darn it, that dreadful cold is coming for sure now!!It is suppose to be only in the fixties by Friday and the weekend......October weather....Was hoping to keep summer in that month too..LOL
Hope you are well, and I will keep you posted on the spray you use and my plants...TRUST ME!!lol
Take care and again thanks. By the way...How is the weather in your neck of the woods?
Mike
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Sarah, didn't mean to sound hasty, but I was about to turn off the puter, when I noticed your thread. I was using a dishsoap with Citrus. One of the ingredients is true citrus, so they say. LOL. Used it for years, now it's like the brand is extinct. Can't find it anywhere. Ajax has a citrus scented dishsoap which is what I now add to the mixture. Acually any dish soap will work, just steer clear of Dawn. You poor thing..all those bugs!! What the heck happened? Sarah, it's strange, beneficial insects are dying/dead while the bad guys are flying around..that doesn't make sense? Why in the world do people use so many chemicals??? By doing so, they're killing off the good guys. Not to mention, spraying something that most likely causes cancer. I feel bad for people who don't use chemicals, yet because of their neighbors, have to breath in that crap. Sarah, the mix I use will kill mites and scale, but it won't touch whitefly..Before your plants are totally infested, purchase Yellow Sticky Traps..they work fantastic, and no chemicals. They're sold on Ebay and a place called Gardens Alive. Cost is more reasonable on Ebay. In Ebay's search window type in yellow sticky traps. Traps come with a little, metal holder. Traps are attached to these holders. Stick holder in soil. You'd be amazed how many whitefly they capture. About 3 or 4 yrs ago, I had the same problem..Whitefly. I found the source, a hardy Hydragea..95% of my plants were whitefly infested. Some plants worse than others, especially Hibiscus, citrus and gardenias. I bought the traps, placed one trap among a group of plants. Each trap captured hundreds of whitefly days later. That was it, they died. So, if you have whitefly, and want to use natural, non-chemical 'help,' buy the traps, ASAP. Keep us posted, Sarah and Good luck, Toni
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meyermike_1micha
Original Author
15 years ago
Toni..........How much of each thing for lets say I want to make a quart spray bottle full?
A table spoon of Gralic? How much dish soap? how much rind or juice?
Thanks so so much
Mike
birdsnblooms
15 years ago
Mike, you asked about our weather..it keeps changing.
I wish we had a nice Oct too..But even if the temps were in the 70's, it's time they get used to being indoors, before the heat is turned on.
We had a couple 40F nights. But the average is 50's-60's.
Some plants are kept out till first frost, mainly Gardenias, Geraniums, Christmas and Easter Cactus and Azalea..Everything else comes in.

What's the coldst it's been in the eastern parts so far the last month?
Can't believe Oct is here. If winter's were shorter, it wouldn't be so bad, but they linger into late May early June. Oh well, only 7 months till June..lol..Toni

Toni....What do you mean?

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Toni....What do you mean?

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